Translate

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

CAF Divers in Estonia clearing WW1 & WW2 Ordnance

Last week DND released its information with regards to OP OPEN SPIRIT 2015 - where Canadian Armed Forces Divers are joining Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and the US in Baltic waters - searching for and clearing unexploded ordnance from the world wars. The Operation started May 15, 2015 and runs to May 28 2015.

The CAF have sent 14 clearance divers and support personnel based out of Fleet Diving Unit (Atlantic) from CFB Halifax.

OP OPEN SPIRIT 2015's aims are to reduce the threat of unexploded ordnance throughout the Baltic Sea region. The region saw heavy fighting during both the First and Second World war, which included air bombardment, naval battles, mine-laying, and submarine warfare. As a result there are remaining ordnance which failed to detonate - causing a danger to maritime shipping and fisheries in the area.